Tag Archives: paleo diet

The Paleo Diet versus the Vegan diet and Vegetarians:

As you may have noticed, I do not “promote” any specific diet on this website. I post science-based nutrition, cover all the diet-types, and try to keep a neutral stance whenever possible. I believe that every body is different, every mind is different, and every person has their own needs and limitations. (Especially since the mind plays and even larger role in how our body reacts than just the chemistry from food.)

That being said, I am pretty sick of being bombarded by proponents of the Paleo Diet. Since I work in the fitness world, I get to hear about it day in and day out. I also get randomly accused of being “unhealthy” because of my compassionate stance towards animals, just because someone sees what I’m eating for lunch.

I don’t like to push my personal dietary choices on other people, but I got to say, I’m pretty sick of everyone pushing there’s on me. So, I decided to talk about the Paleo diet from a anthropology perspective. And I wanted to show some awesome vegetarian and vegan athletes. So enjoy, and let me know what experiences you have had!

Quite awhile ago, I wrote an article about the importance of a balanced meal. I don’t think it’s healthy to eliminate a food group…i.e., “Low Carb,” “Low Fat,” etc. We need a balanced amount of carbs, protein, and fat in our daily meals. (There are more complications in sports nutrition, as there are different things you should eat before/after working out, for muscle soreness and recovery, etc. But, I will discuss this in a later article.) For the most part, to have a steady stream of energy throughout the day, you need a balanced combination of all the macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat).
In the video, I also discuss what a protein really is. There is the common misconception that a complete protein only comes from animal sources. (If this were true, vegans would die very quickly.) For an in-depth look at protein, you can also check my older article on the basics of protein.
For true health and vibrance, many people forget about the importance of micronutrients. These are all the vitamin and mineral buzzwords you’ll see on a food package. Vitamin D, electrolytes, Vitamin C, potassium, B-Vitamins, etc. You get the idea. These can be found in whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables, but also in nuts, seeds, and legumes. People tend to concentrate on the macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat.) But, we would be able to just manufacture a fake, perfect food source if these elements were the only important aspect of a healthy diet. The micronutrients, fiber, and clean water that fruits and vegetables provide are essential for good health.